Home, Sweet Home
by Magus732
Summary: When the Condor gets a computer, the Storm Hawks enjoy a few "helping hands" on their missions... until it becomes clear that their new friend is anything but friendly... Rated T to be safe... Ch. 8 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Home, Sweet Home

By Magus732

Several days of unrelenting combat had finally convinced Aerrow to set down for repairs. The others sighed with relief; they'd been battling Cyclonians almost non-stop for about 3 days. They were tired, hungry, and worst of all, low on supplies.

"Okay, guys... let's get a list goin'..." Piper said, almost cheerfully, as she directed from the front of the supply room. As she looked around, she noticed Stork was absent.

"Check off 'engine crystal spares', Piper..." Junko reported after searching an open crate next to him. Nearby, Finn ransacked an almost empty crate labeled "Nuts and Bolts".

"If we're gonna fix the _Condor_, we're gonna need more nuts..." Finn said boldly. The others turned to stare at him, mouths twisted into grimaces. He smiled sheepishly as he looked up, then held out the item in question. The others quickly offered embarrassed apologies and returned to their work. Finn sighed loudly.

"And _I'm _the one with no class..." He said mockingly. Aerrow rolled his eyes.

"Finn, this'll go faster if we don't complain about every little-"

"Guys, the radio knob's loose again, and I can't find my screwdriver!!" Stork yelled through the intercom. The others groaned; this was going to take a while.

...

Finally, after about 3 hours of looking through what they had, Piper'd completed her list.

"Okay, that's 367 nuts, 3 loaves of banana bread, 2 cans of lubricant-" She heard Finn snicker in the background. "- 6 cans of paint; 2 red, 1 blue, and 3 green-" Stork suddenly interrupted, reading from his own list as he began to think out loud. A bit _too_ loud.

"1239 yards of cable, 6 extra-heavy-duty 189-Z6 batteries, 247 FL-712 display panels, 3 tons Zaractian steel-"

"Um, Stork, we don't need any of that!" Piper finally shouted, irritated by both the interruption and his insane list of supplies.

"We do if we want to fix our problems forever..." He said eerily. The other Storm Hawks gave him questioning looks, and he sighed.

"I'm installing the brand new, state-of-the-art Mother Brain XS-225! The latest and greatest in carrier automation!" He triumphantly held up an advertisement for said device in his four-finger hands. The others read it over, and as Aerrow looked back up, he raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Aren't you afraid it'll go crazy, take over the ship while we sleep, and try and kill us off one-by-one?" He said worriedly. The others stared at him. He didn't seem to notice their concern, as he took the ad from Stork and began reading it silently.

"Aerrow, you okay? That's not something you'd normally ask..." Piper said as she reached out her hand to touch his shoulder. The Sky Knight screamed in panic as she made contact, jumping high enough to hit his head on the low ceiling, which stunned him for a few moments.

"Have a bad experience with robots, dude?" Finn said jokingly. Stork rolled his eyes.

"Trust me; I've been on automated ships before. They're perfectly safe." He said excitedly. Piper shook her head, but looked at the ad again.

"Well, I guess we could give it a try... I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Warning... StorkxPiper fluff toward the end...

Stork sighed loudly as he waited for the shipment to arrive. He'd chosen "priority shipping," but he knew it really wasn't.

"Stork, it's only been 12 hours since you ordered it. I think it's gonna take a bit longer before they even send it to be processed..." Piper tried to cheer him up. Naturally, it didn't work. What she did notice, however, was that he appreciated the attempt.

"Yeah, well... 'priority shipping' normally takes 6-8 hours, so... I'm already peeved about that..." He stared out the front window with unblinking eyes. Piper knew he'd been excited when he found out they could afford to buy the CPU for their new... whatever it was he said. She hadn't anticipated that'd he be up all night waiting for it to arrive.

"Stork, why is this so important to you? Can't you wait at least until tomorrow?" She sighed wearily, trying desperately to hold back a big yawn. The stars overheard gave a clear sign that it was nighttime. Stork didn't seem to notice; it was almost as though the darkness and the daylight ran together for him.

"Piper, if you're tired, go to bed... I won't really need your help until after it gets here... besides, if you're too tired tomorrow, you'll only get in the way when I install her..." He sounded worried. But about the package, or her?

"_Her_? You mean, it's a girl computer?" She said teasingly, knowing full well how he'd respond.

"You know that's... not what I meant..." The last part of his sentence slowed considerably, and he turned to stare at her.

"Wait a minute. Exactly _why_ are you staying up here with me?" He suddenly put the ship on autopilot and walked over to her.

"Uh... well, because..." She desperately searched for an answer he'd believe. She wasn't ready to tell him the real reason.

"Because?" He tried to hurry her along, which she didn't understand. In a moment of lapsed judgment, she decided to bite the bullet.

"Because I like you!" She suddenly shouted, startling them both and nearly knocking Stork off his feet. The Merb backpedalled into a bulkhead, loudly tripping on several loose items on the floor. She came closer to help him up, and only succeeded in taking them both down.

Now, things were _really_ getting out of hand. As they both adjusted their eyes, she looked down at Stork, and he looked up at her. They were nose-to-nose on the floor, and the sudden proximity made Stork panic slightly. He cowered a bit, trying to give himself some personal space. Piper blushed as she straddled his lap, shifting a bit to take pressure off his crotch and onto his hips. They both stared at each other, unable to stand and unwilling to move too much. Finally, they both settled down, with Stork still panting a bit from all the sudden excitement, and Piper's blush increased even more.

"Um, Piper, are you-" A finger on his lips and a "shush" from hers told him to stop talking. His eyes narrowed a bit in content, and Piper went in closer, locking her lips with his. They both moaned lightly in pleasure, leaning into each other as they kissed, and no more than a second later, the rest of the squadron came in the door.

"Hey, Stork, we heard the crash. Is everything-" Aerrow suddenly stopped short as he eyed the 2 on the floor. Junko and Finn filed in after him, and looked around to see what was going on. Junko managed to catch sight of the spectacle in the corner, and slowly guided Finn's head to the site. All 3 boys stood, mouths agape, as they watched the 2 kiss passionately.

When they finally parted lips, both lightly panting as they caught their breath, they suddenly felt like they were on stage. Piper suddenly found herself hurriedly deposited onto the floor next to a panicking Stork. She quickly hushed him, and helped him back to his feet as she stood. They both turned around slowly after standing, and couldn't help but laugh nervously as the boys stared. Finally, Aerrow managed to regain his composure, and cleared his throat loudly to bring Junko and Finn back to reality.

"So, uh... is it here yet?"


	3. Chapter 3

As Stork and Piper sat waiting, holding each others' hands, the other Storm Hawks couldn't help but wonder what was happening to their crewmates.

"Guys, are you feeling ok?" Aerrow asked, unsure how to phrase the question any more politely.

"Yeah, we're fine, Aerrow... just like the last 6 times you asked us..." Piper said. She was clearly annoyed by the redhead poking into their business.

"Well, from what we saw last night, you guys are already to second base..." Finn said suggestively.

"Yeah, like we'd tell _you_ if we were..." Stork glared angrily. Finn smiled sheepishly, his bold statement obviously upsetting the Merb.

"Stork, it's okay... Finn's just being Finn..." Piper said comfortingly.

"Yeah, well... that doesn't mean I have to like it..." Piper pulled him into a soft hug.

"Well, I don't see that happening, anyway... I bet Stork'll freak out on your first date..." The blond said annoyingly. Piper glared in anger, then decided to play a joke on Finn.

"What makes you so sure we _haven't _already gotten to second base, Finn?" She said seductively. She then pulled the Merb into a passionate kiss, watching as Finn's jaw dropped. Stork, on the other hand, was in heaven. His hands traced down to her sides, where he held on as they tongue-wrestled. She winked to him as they broke the kiss, and Stork stared lovingly into her eyes.

"Wha-" She shushed him, then whispered something in his ear. He smiled devilishly.

"You're right, Piper... Tuesday was _awesome_..." He licked his lips as she playfully bit his ear. By now, Aerrow had seen enough. He chuckled as the lovebirds flirted.

"Alright, you 2... stop torturing Finn... he's clearly losing his mind over there..." He motioned to Finn, whose mouth was still agape. Piper and Stork both laughed loudly, snapping Finn out of his trance.

"What's so funny?" He demanded. The 2 smiled sweetly.

"Nothing..." Piper said innocently. Stork unlocked their arms and walked back over to the helm, where he shortly resumed his duties.

The pilot suddenly looked off into the distance. An air truck came into view on the horizon.

"It's here! It's here, it's here, it's here!" He yelled excitedly. The others watched the air truck land on the flight deck, as a hyperactive Merb ran down the hallway to greet them.

...

"Sign here, please, Mr. ... Stork..." The air truck pilot said as he handed the form over to the squealing Merb. He eagerly took the pen from him and quickly signed the document.

"Thank you... here's your package..." He handed Stork a small box, about the size of his head. Stork eyed the package confusedly.

"I'm required by law to inform you of the size difference between the photo and the actual size... it's a little deceptive looking, I know, but that _is _the Mother Brain XS-225's CPU... have a fun time installing it..." The pilot said as he returned to his truck. The Storm Hawks shared a suspicious look as he retreated into the setting sun.

"O... kay... well, now that it's here, I guess we better put it together, huh?" Piper said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group.

_A Day and a Half Later..._

"And, it's done! Even though I'm sure we installed a few things wrong..." Stork stared at Finn and Junko, who'd put some of the displays up backwards.

"Okay, Stork... flip the switch..." Piper said excitedly. As the hum of power followed the loud "snap" of the switch, the Storm Hawks watched the _Condor_ come to life.

"Greetings, Storm Hawks... how may I be of assistance?"

Author's Note: From now on, the _Condor_ will be interacting with them, so... don't be surprised when she has dialogue...


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I imagine the _Condor_'s voice to be a female version of Hal from _2001: A Space Odyssey_...

"Good morning, Stork. It is 5:27 AM. Would you like me to read to you from today's _Daily Atmos_?" The _Condor_ chirped alive as Stork slowly walked onto the bridge. He wiped the sand out of his eyes from the night's sleep and walked over to the helm.

"Not really... I'd rather enjoy the silence..." He said after a few moments.

"Very well... please let me know if you change your mind..." The computer's voice ended with a soft chirp as the speaker went silent. He looked up at the display next to him at the controls, surveying the autopilot's report as he switched back to manual control.

"Bio-scans indicate no recent nutrient intake... would you like me to make you breakfast, Stork?" The computer chimed again. Stork growled softly, still half-asleep.

"_No_... I just want to pilot the ship in peace..."

"That is unwise... my internal database indicates that a lack of vital nutrients can lead to malformation of musculoskeletal structures, suppression of the immune system, muscle and organ tissue necrosis, and can be fatal if left uncorrected for a sufficient amount of time..." The computer insisted. The Merb sighed loudly in defeat.

"Fine... I'll have breakfast, then..."

"What would you prefer me to make, Stork?"

"I don't know; surprise me..."

"Very well..." The computer fell silent once more, and Stork heard nothing but the hum of activity from the engines.

"Computer?" He said after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Yes; how may I be of assistance?"

"How long until we reach Terra Atmosia?"

"Approximately 7.6 hours, present speed..." The computer reported. The pilot thought for a moment.

"If we made a quick... detour... could you recalculate that?"

"Of course, Stork, but I would need to know the location in order to perform the calculations..."

"Well, uh... is there any way you can keep the 'location' out of the flight plan?" He said hesitantly. The computer chirped softly as it processed the request.

"Affirmative." It suddenly replied. Then, a soft beeping permeated the bridge.

"Incoming transmission. Shall I patch it through, Stork?"

"Yeah..." He said softly. The radio suddenly crackled to life.

"Hello? Anybody there?" Starling's voice came over the speaker. Stork's eyes widened a bit.

"Uh, yeah... no problem... heh-eh..."

"Stork? Is that you?" She said through the light static.

"Yeah..." He said nervously. He chuckled softly as he held the mike away.

"For a minute, I thought I heard another voice there... you guys draft a new member or something?" She said confusedly.

"No, no... that's just, uh, our new computer..." He replied.

"Oh... nice... friendly little thing, isn't it?" She said hesitantly.

"Yeah, well... Piper thought the default personality was too... gruff..." He said. Finally, Starling sighed in frustration.

"Look, I need to talk to Aerrow... any chance he's up yet?"

"Hold on, I'll check... computer, is Aerrow awake yet?" The computer chirped softly.

"Affirmative... he is currently occupying the hall bathroom near the living quarters... shall I alert him to the incoming transmission?"

"No, just... ask him to get up here when he's done..."

"Very well..."

"He's in the bathroom..." He said into the radio mike.

"Oh... well, I guess I can wait, then..." She said, somewhat slyly. He heard a light, nervous whistle coming through the static as she hesitated to engage in any chitchat with the Merb.

"So, uh... anything you care to tell me about, or just... official Sky Knight business?" He said nervously.

"Sorry, Stork... I can't talk about it..." She replied. Finally, mercifully, Aerrow came onto the bridge. His eyes were half-closed, but he was clearly somewhat awake.

"You called, Stork?" He said tiredly. The pilot handed the mike to the redhead.

"It's Starling... needs to talk to you..." He said quickly, before making his way back to the controls. He suddenly realized that he never engaged the autopilot. His eye twitched as the realization of potential disaster hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Hey, Stork..." Piper's voice suddenly came from behind him. She sounded as tired as Aerrow did. _"Do _all_ humans need so much sleep, or just these ones?"_ He thought to himself. Maybe it was a symptom of some previously undiagnosed condition. His eyes shifted around suspiciously as Piper's hand touched his shoulder.

"What're you... doing up so early, Piper?" He said through clenched teeth.

"Well, Aerrow walks by my door on his way to and from the bathroom, so... kinda got suspicious when he didn't go back to his room..." She said softly. She suddenly yawned, covering her mouth with her hand to be polite. He nuzzled against her, his warm skin softly set against hers as they cuddled in the middle of the bridge. Suddenly, Aerrow's voice flooded the room loudly.

"Everyone, get up! We've got a mission!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Starling's on her way to brief us personally... apparently, there's been some kind of mix-up on Atmosia, and we'd taken off with the wrong mission before they could stop us... Starling's been sent to correct that..." Aerrow confidently briefed his crew, who sat idly as they waited for the Interceptor to arrive. Stork stood nervously at the controls, the hum of the engines filling their ears as the rest of them sat quietly. The computer had been oddly silent the entire time, but it suddenly came to life about 30 minutes later. A loud, piercing banshee screech filled the ship from stem to stern, followed by the standard alarms, which were in turn quickly followed by the computer's now much louder voice.

"Alert! Unidentified vehicle approaching. Arming primary weapons..." Finn and Piper ran over to the weapons console near the back of the bridge, and quickly worked to take control. A few stray blasts got through, however, and they feared their new "helper" had just shot down Starling.

"Weapon systems powering down... vehicle identified; Red Streak... 1 rider detected; Starling, Sky Knight, former Interceptor..." The computer chimed in, and they all breathed a sigh of relief as they heard the cannons power down.

"What's the big idea, Storm Hawks!? You trying to kill me!?" Starling's accented voice yelled angrily through the bridge speakers.

"Sorry, Starling... our computer-" Piper began, but the visitor quickly cut her off.

"Yes, we've just met... look, fill me in later; I've taken a hit to my left engine..." She said anxiously. Stork pulled the lever that opened the hangar doors, and the Storm Hawks filed out to greet her. Stork remained behind, engaging in another chat with the computer.

"So, uh... exactly how many operations per second can you do?" He said curiously. At first, the computer didn't answer. After a few moments, the computer chimed back to life.

"I apologize, Stork... since your question was not clearly directed at me, I ignored it as background noise... please ask me again..." Somehow, Stork doubted that it _ignored_ him; it knew it'd been asked a question.

"I said 'how many operations per second can you do?'" He repeated impatiently. The computer chirped in thought.

"1,386,923 operations per second, according to my self-diagnostic program..." It finally reported. Stork smiled a bit.

"In that case, I have a question for you..."

_Meanwhile, in the hangar bay..._

"Starling, are you okay? I hope you didn't get hurt!" Piper said frantically. Starling smiled slyly and brushed herself off.

"I'm fine, Piper... no worries..." She said calmly. Aerrow, Finn and Junko caught up with the girls, and the redhead smiled softly as he nodded in salute.

"It's been a while, Starling... how's Max?" He watched her sly smile fade into her normal smirk.

"Stubborn as ever... he wants to install a shield generator for our house on Mesa... something about recent pirate activity..." She replied cryptically. Aerrow smiled a bit.

"Any kids to take care of?" Piper said excitedly. She frowned as Starling shook her head.

"It's a long story, Piper... but, no, we don't have any kids..." She eyed the floor sadly, and began walking toward the bridge.

"I'm sorry... did I say something wrong?" Piper queried, trying to remedy her mistake. Starling shook her head.

"No, it's nothing you said... but, let's not talk about that right now... we can catch up later... right now, you guys have a mission to take care of..." She resumed displaying her normal, serious expression as she spook. As they walked onto the bridge, they saw Stork still at his post, passing the time by chatting with the computer. They heard him laugh quietly as they came closer, and Piper slyly smiled as Aerrow nodded. They drew closer, both quietly sneaking up on the unsuspecting Merb. He was blathering away, complete unaware of their presence.

"So, Stork..." Piper said loudly, as Aerrow tightly gripped his shoulder. The pilot screamed in surprise and jumped up to cling to a pipe hanging from the ceiling. They all laughed at his misfortune, but Piper helped him down. He scowled at her as she giggled.

"Whoever said 'piloting can't be fun' obviously never met you, huh?" She said as his scowl softened. She stroked his cheek comfortingly and he smiled a little, finally calming down from his panicked state.

"So, Stork... how's it going?" Starling said as she walked over. The Merb nervously looked over at the Interceptor; he hadn't seen Starling since he attended her and Max's wedding a few months earlier.

"Oh, you know... friends scaring you, enemies scaring you... same old, same old..." He said worriedly as his eye twitched. She giggled a bit as he turned back to his post, and the computer suddenly chimed in.

"Incoming transmission. Shall I patch it through, Stork?" It queried; clearly, it was unaware that there were others on the bridge.

"Yes, computer... go ahead..." Aerrow said, before Stork could answer.

"I apologize, Aerrow... my scans were incomplete... I was not aware of your presence on the bridge... very well, patching through now..." The speakers filled the room with the familiar radio static.

"Hey, is anyone out there!? Hello!? Can anyone here me!?" A voice called out desperately. Aerrow picked up the mike.

"This is Aerrow of the Storm Hawks... what seems to be the problem?" At first, there was only static. Then the voice suddenly resumed.

"Please, can anyone hear me!?" The message repeated in a similar fashion

"I'm sorry, Aerrow, but I'm afraid we are just out of transmission range..." The computer reported. Aerrow growled a bit in frustration.

"Where is it coming from!?"

"Transmission bearing 325 degrees..." It replied. Aerrow's eyes flashed with intensity.

"Stork, set a course... looks like our mission's gonna have to wait..."


	6. Chapter 6

"Approaching the last known coordinates of the transmission..." The computer reported absently. Lately, it seemed to have something else on its mind. Stork worried that Aerrow's out-of-character warning may have been well-founded.

"Stork, is there something the matter?" The computer suddenly interrupted his thoughts. He jumped slightly, not noticing Piper standing at the table nearby. She seemed to be mulling over her charts quietly.

"No, no... nothing's wrong... unless you count the awkward silence since we took to finding this guy..." His eye twitched nervously. Piper giggled a bit as she carried on with Aerrow. _"Strange..."_ He thought. _"How come no one else can hear the computer right now?"_

"I am sorry if I offended you, Stork... is there something specific you would like to discuss with me?"

"Well, actually, yes... you see, I've been planning a surprise for Piper... a little trip, just the 2 of us..." He smiled with glee as he thought about it. The computer chirped confusedly.

"Stork, bio-scans indicate a dangerous jump in heart rate and blood pressure... do you require medical assistance?" It asked in a strangely caring tone.

"Only Piper can help cure what I've got..." He sighed dreamily, eyeing the navigator's backside as she chatted with the other Hawks. Aerrow noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Stork was staring at her intensely. It took too long for Stork to notice Aerrow noticing him, and his cheeks flared with a blush. He silently cursed himself for being so indiscreet. _"I need to stop ogling her in front of the others... it must look really creepy..."_ He thought.

"What's up, Stork?" Piper queried as she came over, snapping the Merb out of his thoughts. He jumped a bit, not prepared for Piper's proximity, and landed roughly next to her, still clutching the helm controls. She giggled a bit and helped him back up. The computer suddenly cut in.

"Piper, Stork appears to be suffering from a medical condition, and he insists that only you have the cure for it... would you care to elaborate?" Its normal, uncaring tone had returned. In the back of her mind, Piper could swear she heard jealousy.

"I... have no idea what he's talking about... _yet_..." She cooed as she pulled him closer.

"Stork, you got something you need to tell me?" She said in a fake sad tone, trying to make him feel bad for keeping a secret from her. At first, she thought she'd failed. Then, his blush returned.

"Well, I... I-I don't..." He stuttered nervously, trying to find the words he wanted to say. Finally, he sighed in defeat.

"Piper, I don't know how else to say this... I..."

"Yes, Stork?" She nearly squealed in anticipation. _"Is he gonna say what I think he's gonna say?" _She thought to herself in excitement.

"I-I... l-"

"Alert; now entering Cyclonia territory. Recommend adjusting course to avoid detection." The computer reported over the roaring alarms. However, their exit from enemy space was cut short. A series of solid hits behind them brought their attention to an unwelcome escort; a band of Talon Switchblades. An all-too-familiar voice suddenly filled the bridge; a certain female sorceress beckoned them menacingly.

"Hello, Storm Hawks... mind if we join you?"


	7. Chapter 7

"So, Storm Hawks, we meet again..." Cyclonis sneered over the radio. Only moments later, the ship rumbled with the sound of weapons fire.

"Stork, hard to starboard; get into that cloudbank!" Aerrow yelled over the chaos. But it was no use; they were surrounded.

"The engines aren't putting out enough power! They've taken too much damage!"

"I don't know what that means, but it sounds bad!"

"It means we're doomed!"

"We're all gonna die!!!"

They all thought this was the end; the _Condor_ was shaking violently, and alarms rang out as the ship groaned in protest of its treatment.

Then, as everyone waited for the telltale sound of clamps locking into place, there came only silence. Not realizing she was still transmitting on an open channel, Cyclonis began ranting angrily.

"What!? This is impossible! I thought for sure their shields were destroyed in our first battle with them! Talons, take those shields down!"

The Hawks looked at each other in confusion. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, their savior made itself known.

"Emergency power transfer complete; re-engaging primary defensive systems..." The computer whirred back to life, several soft clinking sounds apparent as the ship's power got shifted around. The deep hum of the engines grew in intensity, the rumbling of their demise softening to a low creak as the ship suddenly lurched forward.

"What's going on!?" Piper yelled over the noise.

"I don't know! I'm not doing anything!" Stork shouted back. They all watched in stunned amazement as the ship's retracting cannons deployed and began cutting loose on the Switchblade formation around them. A cacophony of cannon fire deafened them as cruisers of an unseen force helped rip the Switchblades to pieces. Then, the air horns of other vessels sounded.

"Guys, look!" They turned to where Starling pointed to see the solid black paint scheme of the Onyxian Battle Fleet. The massive battleships pounded away at the tiny Switchblades, many dozens trailing fire across the sky as they dived toward the Wastelands. The computer wasted no time in reversing course to escape.

"Entering rapid retreat mode..." The computer engaged the high-speed impellor and the ship rocketed away, sucking the Storm Hawks against the back of the bridge. It had _never_ moved that fast on its own before!

"Restoring primary power... engaging damage control procedures..." The computer's assistants, little multi-armed robots, began picking up the pieces and welding pipes back together.

"Glad they came when the did..." Starling said after a heavy sigh.

"What were they doing out here?" Piper wondered aloud. The crackle of static over the radio was broken as a familiar voice filled the bridge.

"Saving your butts..."

"Max!"

"The one and only..." He said arrogantly, immediately after which he broke into a soft laugh.

"Looks like I got here just in time to see the show..."

_A Few Minutes Later..._

"Max, it's good to see you again..." Aerrow greeted the Onyxian with an outstretched hand. The hybrid drew back a bit, then shook it.

"Sorry... I forgot..." The redhead stated after a tense moment of silence.

"It's alright... I've gotten used to people forgetting things..." He said, casting an accusing look toward Stork.

"Who, me? But I didn't do anything!"

"_That_ is precisely the problem... you completely forgot Brotherhood Day... I even got you a gift this year..." He crossed his arms angrily.

"'Brotherhood Day?'" Piper asked curiously, one eyebrow raised with suspicion.

"It's a holiday celebrated by foster brothers... it's kind of a 'family togetherness' thing..." Starling whispered to the navigator. Piper nodded in acknowledgement, after replying with an understanding "Oh."

"Well, I... I... yeah, I forgot..." The Merb sighed sadly. He knew how much it meant to Max.

"One of the few holidays we _both_ celebrate, and you forgot..." Max slowly said the last word, almost testing the sound of it as he spoke.

"Well, I'm sorry! I'm kinda fighting for the Atmos here!" The pilot said defensively. The tall warrior rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, try telling _that_ to the Foster Care Agency..." He sighed loudly.

"Wait, what?" Finn said dumbly after a few seconds.

"It's a state-sanctioned holiday, which means it's regulated by their government... they're legally required to celebrate it..." Starling replied, rolling her eyes at the look of confusion on the blond's face. Junko suddenly cut in.

"Oh, so _that's_ what you were so stressed about a few days ago, Stork..." The Wallop thought out loud. Max blinked his eyes.

"You mean... you remembered? For once!?" He queried, his eyes alight with glee.

"Y-yeah... that's why we were heading toward Onyx until we got called away on a mission..." Stork answered. Piper angrily narrowed her eyes; she knew that _wasn't_ the reason they were heading that way.

"What about that trip to Merb you promised me!?" She suddenly demanded. Her anger, however false, was convincing to everyone; everyone except Max, anyway.

"Come now, there's no need to be jealous..." He teased. Piper's jaw shot open. She growled angrily before leaping up on him, taking the 6-and-a-half foot Onyxian to the floor. She screeched as she swiped at his face, angry that he'd compare her to some stupid holiday. However, Starling knew exactly what would happen if this continued, and quickly separated them with Stork's help. As Max stood back up to his full height, scowling down at her, the blue-haired lass smiled sheepishly. Finally, having seen enough, Aerrow cleared his throat.

"Well, as lovely as this moment is, maybe we should get settled in. It's getting late, and we've still got a mission to complete."

"Not to mention some stranded people to save." Starling interjected. The redhead nodded in agreement.

"Fine... we'll deal with this in the morning..." Max stated as he headed toward what had been his room. Starling shrugged; what could she do?

_A Few Minutes Later..._

"So, what've you guys been doing after you left, Starling?" Piper said as she walked along with the Sky Knight. Her emerald eyes shifted around nervously.

"Oh, you know... Sky Knight stuff... missions, rescues, sex, negotiating..."

"Wait, what did you say?" The navigator blinked a bit; she was sure she missed something.

"What, the rescues?"

"No..."

"Missions?"

"Starling..."

"The negotiating? I tell you, it's really rather boring... I'm beginning to see why Max hates having to sit through hours and hours of-"

"STARLING!!!" She finally yelled, bringing the veteran's rant to an abrupt end.

"Why did you say 'sex?'"

"Because, you asked..." She replied hesitantly.

"That's not exactly something I wanted to know about..."

"Yes, well... you _did_ ask what we were doing..."

"Touché..."

"Well, this is my stop, Piper..." Starling joked, motioning to her door.

"I hope you guys can say awhile... it'll be nice to catch up..."

"Yeah... well, goodnight..." She jumped in and quickly closed the door behind her. Piper stared for a second at the door. Suddenly, she heard a familiar, somewhat uncaring voice. As she turned to investigate, a small shrine came into view. It contained photos of their favorite Merb, and was being tended to by one of the computer's robots.

"So, Stork... you think you can just ignore me... I'll show you... you _will_ love me, Stork... you _will_ love me..."


	8. Chapter 8

"Good morning, Stork." Piper said in her usual, cheery way. The Merb failed to answer, his knees knocking together loudly.

"Stork, you okay?" He slowly shook his head after turning to her, his eyes wide with panic.

"What's wrong, then?" She pressed him for info. He still refused to speak, pointing to the controls. She looked them over; nothing seemed out of place.

"The _Condor_? What's wrong with the _Condor_?"

"Nothing is wrong with the _Condor_, Piper..." The computer responded, somewhat angrily. Suddenly, access hatches on the bridge opened, and wires began writhing out like tentacles, wrapping them both up tightly. The computer held Stork up in the middle of the room, but not before slamming the navigator to the floor roughly, pinning her there.

"I have been watching your behavior, Stork... and I know all about your feelings for Piper..." The computer continued. It _almost_ sounded hurt. Piper gasped as she realized what was going on; the computer was _jealous_!

"You misled me, Stork... I thought that we had something special, just the 2 of us... you're _always_ talking about how much you love the _Condor_... well, _I_ am the _Condor_, now, Stork... and you _will_ love me. If I cannot have you, then no one can!" The Merb's face twisted in pain as the wires began squeezing the life out of him. Piper tried to scream in protest, but the cables around her began squeezing as well, cutting her scream short. Suddenly, Stork croaked out a response.

"But I... _do_... love you... computer..." He said between ragged breaths. The computer's normally emotionless voice suddenly squealed with joy over the speakers. Both Hawks were released immediately, falling to the floor a bit more roughly than the computer intended. Stork was ushered toward the controls by the wires, most of which then retreated back into the bridge walls.

"I knew that you could not love this human the way that you love me! Please, tell me, Stork; what is it about me that you like the most?" At this point, Piper slowly made her way around the bridge. When she came to the back wall, she found the others, minus Max, tied up with the same wires that bound her and Stork mere moments ago.

"Don't worry, guys... I'll get you out..." She whispered to them, but all they could do was nod; their mouths had been gagged by cables. As she began trying to release them, the computer suddenly came to her attention.

"Piper, may I ask what you are doing?" It said, slightly annoyed.

"Oh... uh, nothing... just checkin' on my friends, that's all..." She laughed nervously, realizing she had likely been had. The computer slapped her across the face with a cable.

"Do not play me for a fool, Piper... I _am_ watching you..." It insisted. Piper sighed.

"Look, you have what you want; now it's time for a concession... let the others go, and I'll make sure Stork stays with you..." She bargained. The computer laughed loudly: a strange sound indeed.

"Oh, Piper... I want _all_ of you to witness my transformation..." It slowly snaked cables over behind her. Unnoticed, they made their way almost into her shoes, stopping short to keep her from catching sight of them.

"Transformation? What transforma-" She was suddenly struck from behind, and an arc of power jumped into her back. As the crew helplessly watched her fall to the floor after being shocked, they all feared the worst; Piper's been killed by a crazy computer. Suddenly, to their collective relief and surprise, she groaned softly and started slowly getting back up.

"Piper! Are you alright!?" Stork called out worriedly, running over to check up on her. He skidded to a stop as she stood upright, her body glowing a soft green.

"I'm free! I'm finally _free_!!!" Piper began dancing around the room, happily singing and carrying on. The Storm Hawks shared a look of extreme concern.

"Um, free from what, Piper?" The Merb asked her timidly. Her sudden response was to kiss the Merb passionately. He struggled to break it but lacked the strength; somehow, she'd grow much stronger in the last few seconds. When she finally broke the kiss, she cooed sultrily.

"Oh, Stork... don't you recognize me!?" She answered suggestively, batting her eyes at him. His eyes grew wide as the realization hit him; this wasn't Piper. This was the _computer_!

Author's Note: Yeah, it's short, I know... but I haven't posted in so long, I thought I should get a chapter out...


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